The flight was operated by Executive Jet Services co-owned by Dangote and Sam Iwajoku – the same company embroiled in a recent controversy over the violation of the nation’s lockdown by flying musician, Naira Marley, to Abuja from Lagos to perform at a concert at Jabi Lake Mall.
SaharaReporters has uncovered flight information on how Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, used a private jet to fly his wife and children to the United Kingdom in violation of the closure of the Nigerian airspace during COVID-19 lockdown across the country.
The Nigerian Government had announced that only essential travels will be permitted by air across the country but flight manifest sighted by SaharaReporters shows that Emefiele used a private jet – a Global Express Bombardier 550 luxury jet with registration number N104DA – belonging to businessman, Aliko Dangote.
It costs at least $10,000 per hour – about N3.8m – to fly on this luxury jet.
CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele
The jet left Nigeria on Monday, June 1, 2020 at about 8pm Nigerian time and arrived in the UK at 2:37am.
The flight was operated by Executive Jet Services co-owned by Dangote and Sam Iwajoku – the same company embroiled in a recent controversy over the violation of the nation’s lockdown by flying musician, Naira Marley, to Abuja from Lagos to perform at a concert at Jabi Lake Mall. The JetCarlos Barcelo
SaharaReporters learnt that the jet carried Mrs Margaret Emefiele, his sons – Godwin Pammichukwu Jnr. and Andrew Olisehike Emefiele.
The CBN governor is believed to have flown his family out of harm’s way or back to school in the UK or beyond as the flight was clearly a non-essential one.
Godwin Emefiele and his wife Margaret.
This is even as a majority of Nigerians were not allowed to engage in interstate travels since the lockdown began in March.
Emefiele is considered one of the most corrupt appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari and one of the closest officials to some members of the infamous ‘cabal’ in the Presidency, providing forex deals and slush cash for sundry activities that fuels corruption in the country.
In 2016, when the CBN governor buried his mum at a flamboyant ceremony, he denied media reports that he had flown in private jets to the event.
In September 2016, Mrs Emefiele was kidnapped along Benin-Agbor Road and the kidnappers reportedly received over N300m from the CBN governor before she was released.
In May 2019, SaharaReporters unveiled a phone conversation between top CBN officials including Emefiele discussing how to cover up over N500bn embezzled by bank officials.
The Buhari regime never investigated the fraud, instead, they arrested one George Uboh, who they claimed had something to do with leaking the tape.
The CBN, however, admitted that the tape was authentic.
